How do you grow your Phrags?

Lot's of discussion lately on potting media - so I thought I try a poll!

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Diane

"NA BEAN DO'N CHAT GUN LAMHAINN"

I use small bark, but have many top dressed with some sphag to help with moisture retention.

I've been fascinated to hear about them grown in sphag and with their roots sitting in water.....

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Diane

"NA BEAN DO'N CHAT GUN LAMHAINN"

Some of mine are in the Oz. mix , some in a mix of small and Med. bark .Mine are not in a container of water , they were ,I got tired of cleaning the container . Gin

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Never put off until tomorrow what you can avoid all together.

Mine are in sphag, but I tend to let them dry out, so I haven't persuaded any to rebloom. Lisa up at the Dartmouth greenhouse has amazing phrags and we talke about their culture. She has the pots sitting in water all the time, unless there's caudatum in the cross. (Those don't sit in water, but she doesn't let them dry out.)

I believe hers are all potted in bark, but I'm not sure. I can e-mail her.

Julie

mine are all in bark, the bottom bark is larger pieces and the top is smaller... the pots are sitting in water all the time, unless of course the saucer dries up as well... which tends to not happen all that often.

I have heard that the longer petalled species and hence its hybrids prefer a drier condition.

I grow mine in a mix that was suggested by a grower who has many awarded phrags:
3 parts bark
1 part perlite
1 part charcoal
1 park canadian peat
a little dash of bone meal

And except for the caudatum types, I have them sitting in water. They seem to be happiest that way even with the 100% humidity we have here in Miami most of the year.

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eve

Hi Eve.
My Phrag is on Sphag moss. and I also live in Miami, do you think I still need a water tray for it?

I would say no but I guess it really depends on how often you water and where you are growing it (outside, windowsill, etc.) If you are good at keeping it moist then given our humidity, you shouldn't need the tray. If it ever gets close to dry, you might want to keep the tray.

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eve

Under fluorescent lights (hight temperature the day) but i have not to much experience in phrag
2 parts bark
1 part charcoal
1/2 Sphag moss
1/4 rookwool cubes
1/2 part polystyrene

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Philippe

I used to use clay & sphag. they did well but you had to repot the darn things every 6-9 months. since switching to s/h I find that they go nuts. roots roots everywhere. with two exceptions--caudatum etc don't take to s/h nearly as much, and I moved them into a chc mix. besseae rooted well in s/h but I couldn't keep the roots cool enough in the summer and the plants suffered, so back into clay/sphag they went. love that evaporative cooling.

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Jason